Method for the detection and/or identification of the original animal species in animal matter contained in a sample

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a method for detecting or identifying the original animal species in a sample likely to contain an ingredient obtained at least from said species. The inventive method is characterized by the following steps: a) a nuclear fraction is obtained from said sample; b) at least one reactant which is specific to the animal species is provided and selected among a group formed by: - the reference sequences SEQ ID numbers 1 to 232, 242 to 261; - the sequences complementing each of the sequences SED ID numbers 1 to 232, 242 to 261, respectively; - the sequences homologous to each of the sequences SEQ ID numbers 1 to 232, 242 to 261 and sequences complementing each of the sequences SED ID numbers 1 to 232, 242 to 261, respectively; c) the nuclear fraction and said reactant are reacted with each other; and d) any signal or information resulting from the specific reaction between said reactant and the nuclear fraction is detected, whereby it can be established if said sample contains said original animal species.

The present invention relates to the field of the determination of an animal species, hereinafter referred to as original animal species, in a sample liable to contain an ingredient, itself obtained from at least said species. The products on which the determination according to the present invention is carried out are, for example, foods or foodstuffs intended for humans or animals, cosmetic products and, in general, products liable to contain ingredients of animal origin or, on the contrary, products in which these extracts are prohibited.

For example, identifying the animal species present in foods may be necessary in many fields of activity. A first reason is to combat fraudulent foods in which certain animal species are substituted with less expensive species, such as replacing hare with rabbit. A second reason is public health, for instance especially during the bovine spongiform encephalitis, or BSE, epidemic, a disease due to the use of animal meat meals of bovine origin for bovine feed. A third reason is religious in nature, in order to verify, for example, the absence of pork in foods. A fourth reason is legislative in nature, in particular in verifying the absence of protected species in foods.

Three main identification approaches are currently described in the literature; these methods are based on a tissue or microscopic analysis, on a protein analysis and/or on a genetic analysis.

The tissue analysis thus consists in determining the presence of bone fragments in samples of meals intended for animal feed. This technique, described in particular in the article by Michard, Revue de l'alimentation animale [Animal feed review], vol. 508, pp 43-48, 1997, although sensitive, is laborious and is based on an expert's interpretation. It is therefore difficult to compare from one laboratory to another. In addition, by nature, it cannot detect the addition of soft tissues, such as offal, serum, blood tissues, gelatin.

Among the protein analyses used, three groups of methods for identifying animal species present in a given sample are mainly distinguished in the literature.

The first group of methods comprises protein electrophoresis techniques, which consist in detecting the soluble target proteins by specific enzymatic staining. The diagnosis is obtained after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, for example. However, this technique can only be carried out with fresh or frozen, unprocessed tissues, since cooking the food for a period of time is an example of processing liable to alter the proteins. This technique cannot therefore be applied to the detection of animal species present in plant meals, which undergo cooking phases during their manufacture.

The second group of methods is based on immunological techniques, using antibodies directed against soluble target proteins. The “Ouchterlony”, or double immuno-diffusion, technique, a method used to differentiate antigens in a mixture, can be used. However, this technique has the major disadvantage of involving cross reactions with the epitopes of other species. The use of ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) techniques allows better discrimination between the species, and these techniques can be applied to cooked meat when antibodies directed against thermoresistant epitopes are used. However, problems of specificity are again observed. By way of indication, polyclonal antibodies directed against thermoresistant epitopes from chicken are not sufficiently specific to determine whether chicken meat or turkey meat is involved.

The third group of methods comprises the chromatographic (HPLC) techniques used to characterize soluble muscle proteins. However, these techniques remain technically laborious and expensive, and can only be applied to fresh or recently frozen tissues.

The disadvantages of these three methods are mainly due to their dependence on the characterization of proteins which are thermosensitive, which denature when the foods are cooked for a period of time and which lose their biological activity after the animal's death, and the presence of which often depends on the cell type that is examined.

It is thus preferable to directly analyze the DNA, rather than the proteins, of the sample, in order to identify the original animal species which is or are present in a given sample, the DNA being identical in all the cell types of the same animal and stable by comparison with the proteins. A third approach therefore consists in analyzing the DNA present in the sample. Only recently have methods based in particular on the use of restriction enzymes or of genetic markers thus been found in the literature, these methods having the advantage of being able to be applied to processed products, in particular after thermal treatment.

The nucleic acid determination may make use of restriction enzymes, or the technique referred to as RFLP (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism, see in particular Meyer et al., Journal of AOAC International, vol 78 No. 6, pp 1542-1551, 1995). The restriction enzymes cleave the DNA, extracted beforehand from the sample to be analyzed, at precise sites in the macromolecule. It then suffices to compare, by simple electrophoresis, the fragments obtained with those of control samples representative of the species to be identified. However, the analysis of the results obtained by this technique is very tricky, in particular when several animal species are present in the sample.

The nucleic acid determination can also consist in sequencing a ubiquitous marker, such as mitochondrial DNA cytochrome B. Mitochondrial DNA is a known target for this type of analysis since each mitochondrion contains from one to ten mitochondrial DNA molecules, and each cell contains from a few tens to a few thousand mitochondria, which makes it possible to work on a very small amount of sample. Thus, Bartlett & Davidson (Biotechniques, vol. 12, No. 3, 1992) describe a method called FINS (Forensically Informative Nucleotide Sequencing). This method consists in i) isolating the DNA present in a biological sample, ii) amplifying this DNA by PCR using primers specific for the mitochondrial cytochrome B gene, the primers being chosen in the portion of the gene which is highly conserved during evolution, and iii) sequencing the amplified DNA segment. The sequence is then used for a phylogenetic analysis by means of a database, allowing identification of the animal species initially present in the sample. While this method has the advantage of being rapid and usable on any type of foods (fresh, frozen, processed, etc.), it nevertheless has the major disadvantage of not enabling the analysis of mixtures of species, from mixtures of amplified sequences derived from the same ubiquitous polymorphic marker, and thus remains reserved for homogeneous starting materials.

The analysis can also consist in amplifying a marker specific for a given species. Thus, Lahiff et al. (Molecular and Cellular Probes, vol. 15, pp 27-35, 2001) describe the identification of an ovine, bovine or avian species present in a sample using, by PCR, particular primers specific to each species. A method developed by S. Colgan et al. was also described in 2001 (FOOD Research International, 2001, vol 34, No. 5, 401-414), for detecting 4 species in a mixture using specific primers by PCR. While this method makes it possible to specifically and rapidly identify such and such a species, it cannot be applied simultaneously to the detection of several species. Successive PCRs are then necessary if the detection of several species is desired. The detection of six animal species using a multiplex PCR (Matsunaga et al. 1999 Meat Sciences, (1999), 145-148) and (Matsunaga T., et al., Nippon Shokuhin KogakuKaishi, (1999) vol 46. No. 3, 187-194) is thus found in the prior art. However, this technique remains tricky and difficult to apply and, in practice, involves prior knowledge of the species sought. This technique cannot, however, be applied blind, i.e. without prior knowledge of the species likely to be present in the sample. It does not make it possible to have quantitative results because of the difficulties due to the multiplex amplification and the possibilities of mismatches. In addition, this technique requires a large number of specific primers if the intention is to test a large number of species, which is relatively impossible to realize in practice due to problems of sensitivity and specificity. Finally, if a species is not represented in the set of primers but is nevertheless present in the sample to be analyzed, the result will be distorted.

The techniques described above make it possible to determine, without prior knowledge, the species present when the sample comprises only one species, and they make it possible to detect several species when there is prior knowledge of the species brought together, but none of the techniques mentioned above allows a determination in the presence of a mixture of several species without prior knowledge of said species brought together. In addition, most of the techniques described above, when several species are present, do not allow a reliable determination when the proportions of the various species are very different in the sample.

There is therefore a great need for a technique which, while remaining generic, can detect one or more species, even present in large number in the same sample to be analyzed or in very small amount, and without prior knowledge of the species present.

In fact, while, in a product, the unwanted species must be present in amounts greater than 5% or even 1% according to the legislation, relative to the species normally present in order for there to be fraudulent practice, which eases the required performance levels for the molecular diagnostic test, it is quite different in the case of products in which the presence of products of animal origin is prohibited. For example, in the case of meals used in France for animal feed since Jan. 1, 2001, traces of content of product of animal origin are sought, and the technical constraint is considerable in terms of sensitivity of the method since most of the material is of plant origin and the addition of animal material ranges between 0.1 and 5% weight/weight.

A need therefore exists for a determining tool which allows the qualitative and/or quantitative identification or detection of animal species, blind, i.e. without a priori regarding the identity of the species sought, which can be used simply, while remaining specific, reliable and accurate, and which can be used in a medium possibly containing ingredients obtained from several animal species.

The problem to be solved is of considerable complexity. The determination must be possible blind, i.e. the sample may or may not contain ingredients obtained from one or more animal species and these original species are unknown. If the sample contains ingredients obtained from animal species, the original species must be determined and may be related, and it must be possible to make the determination by carrying out just one analysis, with a single reagent and a single amplification step, without a prior step for predetermining, for example, the group of species or without using batteries of tests making it possible, for example, to classify the reagents by genera or species so as to avoid, for example, cross reactions.

To this effect, the applicant has discovered a set of sequences consisting of the group comprising the sequences SEQ ID Nos 1 to 232, 242 to 261, the sequences respectively complementary thereto, and any homologous sequences, comprising at least 5 contiguous monomers included in any one of said sequences and exhibiting at least 70% identity with said any sequence, which make it possible, using “molecular biology” analytical methods, to determine at least one original animal species in a sample liable to contain an ingredient obtained from at least said species.

Before disclosing the invention, various terms used in the description and the claims are defined hereinafter.

-   -   A “determination” is understood to be the identification or the         quantitative and/or qualitative detection or analysis of an         animal species.     -   An “animal species” is understood to be the simplest category         used in the classification of living species or taxonomy. Living         species are classified in categories called taxa; the most         important taxa are the kingdom (plant or animal), the phyllum or         division, the class, the order, the family, the genus and the         species. Birds, fish and mammals are classes of vertebrate         animals.     -   The term “original animal species” is understood to mean the         animal species of the animal whose tissues, whatever they are,         were used as starting material for preparing the ingredient(s)         of the sample of the product subjected to the determination         according to the present invention.     -   A “molecular biology method” is a method based on the enzymatic         amplification of nucleic acid (DNA and/or RNA) targets in vitro         and the use of oligonucleotide probes.     -   A “sample” is any part obtained directly or indirectly from a         starting product, matter or material, itself liable to contain         at least one ingredient obtained from at least one “original”         animal species. As a consequence of this definition, the sample         to be determined in accordance with the present invention is         liable to contain said ingredient of animal origin, based on         which the animal species which has or have made up or         constituted the starting product, matter or material is or are         identified or detected. For the purpose of the present         invention, the starting product can be a biological material, a         food or foodstuff, for example based on meat or fish, a cosmetic         product, etc.     -   The term “lysis step” is understood to mean a step capable of         releasing the nucleic acids contained in the protein and/or         lipid envelopes of the microorganisms (such as cell debris which         disturbs the subsequent reactions). By way of example, use may         be made of the lysis methods as described in the applicant's         patent applications:         -   WO-A-00/05338 regarding mixed magnetic and mechanical lysis,         -   WO-A-99/53304 regarding electrical lysis, and         -   WO-A-99/15321 regarding mechanical lysis.

Those skilled in the art may use other well-known lysis methods, such as thermal or osmotic shocks or chemical lyses with chaotropic agents such as guanidium salts (U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,809).

-   -   The term “purification” is understood to mean separation between         the nucleic acids and the other cell components released in the         lysis step. This step generally makes it possible to concentrate         the nucleic acids. By way of example, it is possible to use         magnetic particles optionally coated with oligonucleotides, by         adsorption or covalence (on this subject, see patents U.S. Pat.         No. 4,672,040 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,750,338), and thus to purify         the nucleic acids which are attached to these magnetic         particles, by means of a washing step. This nucleic acid         purification step is particularly advantageous if it is desired         to subsequently amplify said nucleic acids. A particularly         advantageous embodiment of these magnetic particles is described         in the patent applications filed by the applicant under the         following references: WO-A-97/45202 and WO-A-99/35500.

In the latter of these patent applications, the particles are thermosensitive magnetic particles which each have a magnetic core covered with an intermediate layer. The intermediate layer is itself covered with an outer layer based on a polymer capable of interacting with at least one biological molecule, for example nucleic acid; the outer polymer is thermosensitive and has a predetermined lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of between 10 and 100° C., and preferably between 20 and 60° C. This outer layer is synthesized from cationic monomers which generate a polymer having the ability to bind nucleic acids. This intermediate layer isolates the core's magnetic forces in order to avoid problems of inhibition of the techniques for amplifying these nucleic acids.

Another advantageous example of a method for purifying nucleic acids is the use of silica, either in the form of a column (Qiagen kits, for example), or in the form of inert particles [Boom R. et al., J. Clin. Microbiol., 1990, No. 28(3), p. 495-503] or magnetic particles (Merck: MagPrep® Silica, Promega: MagneSil™ Paramagnetic particles). Other very widely used methods are based on ion exchange resins in a column (Qiagen kits, for example) or in a paramagnetic particulate format (Whatman: DEAE-Magarose) [Levison P R et al., J. Chromatography, 1998, p. 337-344]. Another method which is very relevant but not exclusive for the invention is that of adsorption onto a metal oxide support (Xtrana: Xtra-Bind™ matrix).

-   -   A “sequence”, or a “nucleotide fragment”, or an oligonucleotide         or a polynucleotide, is a chain of nucleotide units assembled         together via phosphoester bonds, characterized by the         informational sequence of the natural nucleic acids capable of         hybridizing with a nucleotide fragment, it being possible for         the chain to contain monomers having different structures and to         be obtained from a natural nucleic acid molecule and/or by         genetic recombination and/or by chemical synthesis.

A “unit” is derived from a monomer which may be a natural nucleotide of nucleic acid, of which the constituent elements are a sugar, a phosphate group and a nitrogenous base; in DNA, the sugar is 2-deoxyribose, and in RNA, the sugar is ribose; depending on whether it is a question of DNA or RNA, the nitrogenous base is chosen from adenine, guanine, uracil, cytosine and thymine; or alternatively the monomer is a nucleotide which has been modified in at least one of the three constituent elements; by way of example, the modification can affect either the bases, with modified bases such as inosine, 5-methyldeoxycytidine, deoxyuridine, 5-dimethylaminodeoxyuridine, 2,6-diaminopurine, 5-bromodeoxyuridine or any other modified base capable of hydridization, or the sugar, for example the replacement of at least one deoxyribose with a polyamide (P. E. Nielsen et al., Science, 254, 1497-1500 (1991)), or alternatively the phosphate group, for example replacement thereof with esters chosen in particular from diphosphates, alkyl- and arylphosphonates and phosphorothioates.

-   -   The term “informational sequence” is understood to mean any         ordered series of units of nucleotide type, the chemical nature         of which and the order of which in a reference direction         constitute an item of information of the same quality as that of         the natural nucleic acids.     -   The term “hybridization” is understood to mean the process         during which, under suitable conditions, two nucleotide         fragments having sufficiently complementary sequences are         capable of forming a double strand with stable and specific         hydrogen bonds. A nucleotide fragment “capable of hybridizing”         with a polynucleotide is a fragment which can hybridize with         said polynucleotide under hybridization conditions which can be         determined in a known manner in each case. The hybridization         conditions are determined by means of the stringency, i.e. the         severity of the operating conditions. The higher the stringency         at which the hybridization is carried out, the more specific the         hybridization is. The stringency is defined in particular         according to the base composition of a probe/target duplex, and         also by means of the degree of mismatching between two nucleic         acids.

The “stringency” can also depend on the parameters of the reaction, such as the concentration and the type of ion species present in the hybridization solution, the nature and the concentration of denaturing agents and/or the hybridization temperature. The stringency of the conditions under which a hybridization reaction should be carried out will depend mainly on the target probes used. All these data are well known and the appropriate conditions can be determined by those skilled in the art.

In general, depending on the length of the target probes used, the temperature for the hybridization reaction is between approximately 20 and 70° C., in particular between 35 and 65° C., in a saline solution at a concentration of approximately 0.5 to 1 M.

-   -   A “probe” comprises a nucleotide fragment comprising from 5 to         100 monomers, in particular from 6 to 35 monomers, possessing a         hybridization specificity under given conditions so as to form a         hybridization complex with a nucleotide fragment having, in the         present case, a nucleotide sequence included, for example, in a         ribosomal RNA, the DNA obtained by reverse transcription of said         ribosomal RNA, and the DNA (referred to here as ribosomal DNA or         rDNA) for which said ribosomal RNA is the transcription product;         a probe can be a capture probe or a detection probe.     -   A “capture probe” is immobilized or can be immobilized on a         solid support by any suitable means, i.e. directly or         indirectly, for example by covalence or adsorption.     -   A “detection probe” can be labeled by means of a label chosen         from radioactive isotopes, enzymes (in particular a peroxidase,         an alkaline phosphatase, or an enzyme capable of hydrolyzing a         chromogenic, fluorigenic or luminescent substrate), chemical         chromophore compounds, chromogenic, fluorigenic or luminescent         compounds, nucleotide base analogs, and ligands such as biotin.     -   A “primer” comprises a nucleotide fragment comprising from 5 to         100 nucleotide units and possessing a hybridization specificity         under given conditions for the initiation of an enzymatic         polymerization, for example in an amplification technique, in a         sequencing process, in a reverse transcription method, etc.     -   “The homology” characterizes the degree of identity of two         compared nucleotide fragments, for which the criteria selected         for the present invention are defined below.

The probes and primers according to the invention are chosen from:

-   (a) the sequences identified in the sequence listing attached in the     appendix to the description, -   (b) the sequences complementary to each of the sequences identified     in the sequence listing attached in the appendix to the description,     the complementarity meaning any sequence capable of hybridizing, at     a temperature of between 20 and 70° C., and preferably between 35     and 65° C., in saline solution at a concentration of approximately     0.5 to 1 M, and preferably 0.8 to 1 M, with any one of the sequences     identified in the sequence listing attached in the appendix to the     description, -   (c) the sequences homologous to each of the sequences identified in     the sequence listing attached in the appendix to the description,     and of the sequences complementary to each of the sequences     identified in the sequence listing attached in the appendix to the     description, respectively, the homology meaning any sequence, for     example fragment, comprising a series of at least 5 contiguous     nucleotides included in any one of said sequences, and exhibiting at     least 70% identity with said any sequence; by way of example, a     fragment (c) comprises 10 nucleotides, among which 5 contiguous     nucleotides belong to a sequence (a) and at least two nucleotides of     the remaining 5 nucleotides are identical, respectively, to the two     corresponding nucleotides in the reference sequence, after     alignment.     -   The term “identifying sequence” denotes any sequence or any         fragment as defined above, which can serve as a detection probe         and/or capture probe.     -   The term “detection” is understood to mean either a direct         detection by means of a physical method, or a method of         detection using a label.

Many detection methods exist for detecting nucleic acids [see, for example, Kricka et al., Clinical Chemistry, 1999, No. 45(4), p. 453-458 or Keller G. H. et al., DNA Probes, 2nd Ed., Stockton Press, 1993, sections 5 and 6, p. 173-249].

The term “label” is understood to mean a tracer capable of engendering a signal. A nonlimiting list of these tracers comprises the enzymes which produce a signal that can be detected, for example, by colorimetry, fluorescence or luminescence, such as horseradish peroxidase, alkaline phosphatase, beta-galactosidase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase; chromophors such as fluorescent, luminescent or dye compounds; electron dense groups which can be detected by electron microscopy or by means of their electrical properties such as conductivity, by amperometry or voltametry methods, or by impedance measurements; groups which can be detected by optical methods such as diffraction, surface plasmon resonance or contact angle variation or by physical methods such as atomic force spectroscopy, tunnel effect, etc.; radioactive molecules such as ³²P, ³⁵S or ¹²⁵I.

Thus, the polynucleotide can be labeled during the enzymatic amplification step, for example by using a labeled triphosphate nucleotide for the amplification reaction. The labeled nucleotide will be a deoxyribonucleotide in amplification systems generating a DNA, such as PCR, or a ribonucleotide in amplification techniques generating an RNA, such as the TMA or NASBA techniques.

The polynucleotide can also be labeled after the amplification step, for example by hybridizing a labeled probe according to the sandwich hybridization technique described in document WO-A-91/19812.

Another particularly preferred method for labeling nucleic acids is described in the applicant's application FR-A-2 780 059. Another preferred method of detection uses the 5′-3′ exonuclease activity of a polymerase, as described by Holland P. M., PNAS (1991) p 7276-7280.

Signal amplification systems can be used as described in document WO-A-95/08000 and, in this case, the preliminary enzymatic amplification reaction may not be necessary.

-   -   The term “enzymatic amplification” is understood to mean a         process generating multiple copies of a particular nucleotide         fragment using specific primers by means of the action of at         least one enzyme. Thus, for nucleic acid amplification, there         exists, inter alia, the following techniques:     -   PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), as described in patents U.S.         Pat. No. 4,683,195, U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,202 and U.S. Pat. No.         4,800,159,     -   LCR (Ligase Chain Reaction), disclosed, for example, in patent         application EP-A-0 201 184,     -   RCR (Repair Chain Reaction), described in patent application         WO-A-90/01069,     -   3SR (Self Sustained Sequence Replication) with patent         application WO-A-90/06995,     -   NASBA (Nucleic Acid Sequence-Based Amplification) with patent         application WO-A-91/02818, and     -   TMA (Transcription Mediated Amplification) with patent U.S. Pat.         No. 5,399,491.

The term “amplicons” is then used to denote the polynucleotides generated by means of an enzymatic amplification technique.

-   -   The term “solid support” as used here includes all the materials         on which a nucleic acid can be immobilized. Synthetic materials         or natural materials, optionally chemically modified, can be         used as a solid support, in particular polysaccharides such as         cellulose-based materials, for example paper, cellulose         derivatives such as cellulose acetate and nitrocellulose or         dextran, polymers, copolymers, in particular based on monomers         of the styrene type, natural fibers such as cotton, and         synthetic fibers such as nylon; inorganic materials such as         silica, quartz, glasses, ceramics; latices; magnetic particles;         metal derivatives, gels, etc. The solid support can be in the         form of a microtitration plate, of a membrane as described in         application WO-A-94/12670, of a particle or of a biochip.     -   The term “biochip” is understood to mean a solid support which         is small in size and to which is attached a multitude of capture         probes at predetermined positions.

By way of illustration, examples of these biochips are given in the publications by [G. Ramsay, Nature Biotechnology, 1998, No. 16, p. 40-44; F. Ginot, Human Mutation, 1997, No. 10, p. 1-10; J. Cheng et al., Molecular diagnosis, 1996, No. 1(3), p. 183-200; T. Livache et al., Nucleic Acids Research, 1994, No. 22(15), p. 2915-2921; J. Cheng et al., Nature Biotechnology, 1998, No. 16, p. 541-546] on in patents U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,783, U.S. Pat. No. 5,700,637, U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,934, U.S. Pat. No. 5,744,305 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,522.

The main characteristic of the solid support should be to conserve the characteristics of hybridization of the capture probes to the nucleic acids while at the same time generating a minimum background noise for the detection method. An advantage of biochips is that they simplify the use of many capture probes, thus allowing multiple detection of the species to be detected.

The invention described hereinafter makes it possible to solve the problems posed by the methods described above, equally in terms of sensitivity, specificity, multidetection capacity and identification, while at the same time being rapid and easy to implement.

The invention relates to a method for determining an original animal species in a sample liable to contain an ingredient obtained from at least said species, characterized in that:

-   -   a) a nucleic acid fraction obtained from said sample is         provided,     -   b) at least one reagent specific for the animal species is         provided, chosen from the group consisting of         -   the reference sequences SEQ ID Nos 1 to 232, and Nos 242 to             261,         -   the sequences complementary to each of the sequences SEQ ID             Nos 1 to 232, and Nos 242 to 261, respectively, the             complementarity meaning any sequence capable of hybridizing,             at a temperature of between 20 and 70° C., and preferably             between 35 and 65° C., in saline solution at a concentration             of approximately 0.5 to 1 M, and preferably 0.8 to 1 M, with             any one of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 1 to 232, and Nos 242 to             261,         -   the sequences homologous to each of the sequences SEQ ID Nos             1 to 232, and Nos 242 to 261 and of the sequences             complementary to each of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 1 to 232,             and Nos 242 to 261, respectively, the homology meaning any             sequence, for example fragment, comprising a series of at             least 5 contiguous nucleotides included in any one of said             sequences, and exhibiting at least 70% identity with said             any sequence,     -   c) the nucleic acid fraction and said reagent are brought into         contact, and     -   d) any signal or item of information resulting from the specific         reaction between said reagent and the nucleic acid fraction,         characterizing the presence in said sample of said original         animal species, is determined by means of detection.

It also relates to a method as described above, characterized in that a set comprising a multiplicity of said reagents specific for the same original species and/or for respectively different original animal species is provided; and a multiplicity of signals or items of information characterizing the presence in said sample of the same original animal species or of several respectively different original animal species is determined.

It also relates to any nucleotide sequence characterized in that it is chosen from the group consisting of:

-   -   a) the reference sequences SEQ ID Nos 1 to 232, and Nos 242 to         261,     -   b) the sequences complementary to each of the sequences SEQ ID         Nos 1 to 232, and Nos 242 to 261, respectively, the         complementarity meaning any sequence capable of hybridizing, at         a temperature of between 20 and 70° C., and preferably between         35 and 65° C., in saline solution at a concentration of         approximately 0.5 to 1 M, and preferably 0.8 to 1 M, with any         one of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 1 to 232, and Nos 242 to 261,     -   c) the sequences homologous to each of the sequences SEQ ID Nos         1 to 232, and Nos 242 to 261, and of the sequences according to         b), respectively, the homology meaning any sequence, for example         fragment, comprising a series of at least 5 contiguous         nucleotides included in any one of said sequences, and         exhibiting at least 70% identity with said any sequence.

It also relates to the use of a sequence defined above, for determining at least one original animal species in a sample liable to contain an ingredient obtained from at least said animal species.

The invention relates to a method for determining an original animal species in a sample liable to contain an ingredient obtained from at least said species, characterized in that it allows said determination in a sample containing at least one other ingredient obtained from another animal species and without prior knowledge of the species brought together, and in that:

-   -   a) a nucleic acid fraction obtained from said sample is         provided,     -   b) at least one reagent specific for the animal species is         provided, chosen from the group consisting of:         -   the reference sequences SEQ ID Nos 1 to 232, and Nos 242 to             261,         -   the sequences complementary to each of the sequences SEQ ID             Nos 1 to 232, and Nos 242 to 261, respectively, the             complementarity meaning any sequence capable of hybridizing,             at a temperature of between 20 and 70° C., and preferably             between 35 and 65° C., in saline solution at a concentration             of approximately 0.5 to 1 M, and preferably 0.8 to 1 M, with             any one of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 1 to 232, and Nos 242 to             261,         -   the sequences homologous to each of the sequences SEQ ID Nos             1 to 232, and Nos 242 to 261, and of the sequences             complementary to each of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 1 to 232,             and Nos 242 to 261, respectively, the homology meaning any             sequence, for example fragment, comprising a series of at             least 5 contiguous nucleotides included in any one of said             sequences, and exhibiting at least 70% identity with said             any sequence,     -   c) the nucleic acid fraction and said reagent are brought into         contact, and     -   d) any signal or item of information resulting from the specific         reaction between said reagent and the nucleic acid fraction,         characterizing the presence in said sample of said original         animal species, is determined by means of detection.

The invention can also be a probe for determining at least one original animal species, comprising at least one identifying nucleotide sequence defined above.

It also relates to a primer for the specific amplification of a nucleic acid from an original animal species, comprising at least one identifying nucleotide sequence defined above.

Another embodiment of the invention is a reagent for determining at least one original animal species, comprising a solid support, which may or may not be divided up, to which a nucleotide sequence defined above is attached.

According to the invention, the nucleotide sequences or their fragments can be attached to a solid support and can constitute a biochip which makes it possible to determine the multiplicity of signals or items of information.

The method according to the invention can be carried out manually, semi-automatically or automatically, allowing the use of a means for determining the original animal species in animal matter contained in a sample.

This invention also relates to a method of detection using in particular the biochip technique. This method of detection is specific for the species being sought by virtue of the use of sequences, referred to as identifying sequences for each species, as a probe. The rapidity, the sensitivity and the specificity of this method of detection make it possible to apply it equally to any medium. In particular, this method applies to any sample of a food product comprising animal matter, whatever its condition and the methods of manufacture and/or of production used, in particular the cooking, dehydration and/or storage techniques, and to any sample of a manufactured product liable to contain animal extracts, such as, for example, cosmetic products and/or pharmaceutical products comprising, for example, gelatins of animal origin.

This simultaneous single-step detection of multiple specific amplification products is possible by virtue of the use of a solid support, in particular in the form of a solid support which is small in size and to which is attached a multitude of capture probes at predetermined positions, or “biochip”, these capture probes consisting of a set of fragments of, or of all, nucleotide sequences specific for said identifying sequences for the species being sought.

These nucleotide sequences can also be used in all the known hybridization techniques, such as the “Dot-blot” techniques for depositing a spot onto a filter [Maniatis et al., Molecular Cloning, Cold Spring Harbor, 1982], the “Southern blot” techniques for transferring DNA [Southern E. M., J. Mol. Biol., 1975, 98, 503], the “Northern blot” techniques for transferring RNA, or the “Sandwich” techniques [Dunn A. R. et al., Cell, 1977, 12,23].

The present invention also relates to the determination of a group of species or class of animal species or taxon. These groups of species or classes or taxa consist, for example, of a class, such as the class of mammals, birds or fish, or even of subgroups of species such as a family of birds or of two subgroups combined, such as birds or mammals.

This identification is possible through the identification of nucleotide sequences, called signature sequences, characteristic of a class, of a group, of a subgroup or of a taxon, and corresponding to regions which have been conserved for all the individuals making up the group. Any signature sequence specific for a class of animals, used in the method according to the present invention, exhibits the characteristic according to which, firstly, it has a nucleic acid region which has been conserved for virtually all the animal species of the same taxonomic class and, secondly, it can be distinguished from other sequences corresponding to the same definition as above, under the usual conditions for determination, defined generically in the attached claims.

The invention also relates to a method for determining a group of original animal species in a sample liable to contain an ingredient obtained from at least one species belonging to said group of animal species under consideration, characterized in that:

-   -   a) a nucleic acid fraction obtained from said sample is         provided,     -   b) the nucleotide sequence(s) characteristic of the group of         animal species to be determined is (are) identified,     -   c) at least one reagent comprising a sequence identified in         step b) is provided,     -   c) the nucleic acid fraction and said reagent are brought into         contact, and     -   d) any signal or item of information resulting from the presence         of one of the sequences defined above, characterizing the         presence in said sample of a group of original animal species,         is determined by means of detection.

For example, for detecting the presence of mammals, use will be made of:

-   1/ the signature sequence M1, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID     No. 235 GACACAACAA CAGC, positions 14685 to 14698 (genbank Bos     taurus reference sequence; accession No. V00654). The CAA bases at     positions 14689-14690-14691 (genbank Bos taurus reference sequence;     accession No. V00654) are conserved for all the nucleic acid     material corresponding to the predefined species making up the group     that it is desired to investigate, in this case mammals. No more     than 5 mutated positions are observed for the remainder of the cited     signature for all the sequences making up the nucleic acid material     of the group of chosen mammals. The presence of these three bases at     the positions indicated above thus makes it possible to determine     the presence of mammals in the sample; -   2/ the signature sequence M2, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID     No. 262, positions 14634 to 14648 (genbank Bos taurus reference     sequence; accession No. V00654). The T base at position 14641     (genbank Bos taurus reference sequence; accession No. V00654) is     conserved for all the nucleic acid material corresponding to the     predefined species making up the group that it is desired to     investigate, in this case mammals. No more than 5 mutated positions     are observed for the remainder of the cited signature for all the     sequences making up the nucleic acid material of the group of chosen     mammals. The presence of this base at the position indicated above     thus makes it possible to determine the presence of mammals in the     sample; -   3/ the signature sequence M3, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID     No. 263, positions 14771 to 14785 (genbank Bos taurus reference     sequence; accession No. V00654). The A base at position 14778     (genbank Bos taurus reference sequence; accession No. V00654) is     conserved for all the nucleic acid material corresponding to the     predefined species making up the group that it is desired to     investigate, in this case mammals. No more than 5 mutated positions     are observed for the remainder of the cited signature for all the     sequences making up the nucleic acid material of the group of chosen     mammals. The presence of this base at the position indicated above     thus makes it possible to determine the presence of mammals in the     sample.

Identification of the presence of birds is determined by means of the signatures:

-   1/ O1, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID No. 236 TCCCTAGCCT TCTC,     positions 15073 to 15086 (Gallus gallus reference sequence; genbank     accession No. X52392). The CT bases (positions 15076-15077) are     conserved for all the nucleic acid material corresponding to the     predefined species making up the group that it is desired to     investigate, in this case birds. No more than 5 mutated positions     are observed for the remainder of the cited signature for all the     sequences making up the nucleic acid material of the group of chosen     birds. The presence of these two bases at the positions indicated     above thus makes it possible to determine the presence of birds in     the sample. -   2/ O2, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID No. 237 ACACTTGCCG GAAC,     positions 15098 to 15111 (Gallus gallus reference sequence; genbank     accession No. X52392). The CT or CA bases (positions 15101-15102)     are conserved for all the nucleic acid material corresponding to the     predefined species making up the group that it is desired to     investigate, in this case birds. No more than 4 mutated positions     are observed for the remainder of the cited signature for all the     sequences making up the nucleic acid material of the group of chosen     birds. The presence of these two bases at the positions indicated     above thus makes it possible to determine the presence of birds in     the sample. -   3/ O3, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID No. 264, positions 15036     to 15050 (genbank Gallus gallus reference sequence; accession No.     X52392). The C base at position 15043 (genbank Gallus gallus     reference sequence; accession No. X52392) is conserved for all the     nucleic acid material corresponding to the predefined species making     up the group that it is desired to investigate, in this case birds.     No more than 5 mutated positions are observed for the remainder of     the cited signature for all the sequences making up the nucleic acid     material of the group of chosen birds. The presence of this base at     the position indicated above thus makes it possible to determine the     presence of birds in the sample. -   4/ O4, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID No. 265, positions 15069     to 15083 (genbank Gallus gallus reference sequence; accession No.     X52392). The C base at position 15076 (genbank Gallus gallus     reference sequence; accession No. X52392) is conserved for all the     nucleic acid material corresponding to the predefined species making     up the group that it is desired to investigate, in this case birds.     No more than 5 mutated positions are observed for the remainder of     the cited signature for all the sequences making up the nucleic acid     material of the group of chosen birds. The presence of this base at     the position indicated above thus makes it possible to determine the     presence of birds in the sample. -   5/ O5, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID No. 266, positions 15094     to 15108 (genbank Gallus gallus reference sequence; accession No.     X52392). The C base at position 15101 (genbank Gallus gallus     reference sequence; accession No. X52392) is conserved for all the     nucleic acid material corresponding to the predefined species making     up the group that it is desired to investigate, in this case birds.     No more than 5 mutated positions are observed for the remainder of     the cited signature for all the sequences making up the nucleic acid     material of the group of chosen birds. The presence of this base at     the position indicated above thus makes it possible to determine the     presence of birds in the sample. -   6/ O6, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID No. 267, positions 15102     to 15116 (genbank Gallus gallus reference sequence; accession No.     X52392). The A base at position 15109 (genbank Gallus gallus     reference sequence; accession No. X52392) is conserved for all the     nucleic acid material corresponding to the predefined species making     up the group that it is desired to investigate, in this case birds.     No more than 5 mutated positions are observed for the remainder of     the cited signature for all the sequences making up the nucleic acid     material of the group of chosen birds. The presence of this base at     the position indicated above thus makes it possible to determine the     presence of birds in the sample. -   7/ O7, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID No. 268, positions 15108     to 15122 (genbank Gallus gallus reference sequence; accession No.     X52392). The C base at position 15115 (genbank Gallus gallus     reference sequence; accession No. X52392) is conserved for all the     nucleic acid material corresponding to the predefined species making     up the group that it is desired to investigate, in this case birds.     No more than 5 mutated positions are observed for the remainder of     the cited signature for all the sequences making up the nucleic acid     material of the group of chosen birds. The presence of this base at     the position indicated above thus makes it possible to determine the     presence of birds in the sample. -   8/ O8, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID No. 269, positions 15232     to 15246 (genbank Gallus gallus reference sequence; accession No.     X52392). The C base at position 15239 (genbank Gallus gallus     reference sequence; accession No. X52392) is conserved for all the     nucleic acid material corresponding to the predefined species making     up the group that it is desired to investigate, in this case birds.     No more than 5 mutated positions are observed for the remainder of     the cited signature for all the sequences making up the nucleic acid     material of the group of chosen birds. The presence of this base at     the position indicated above thus makes it possible to determine the     presence of birds in the sample.

Identification of the presence of mammals and of birds is determined by means of the signature V, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID No. 238 ATAGCCACAGCATT, positions 14883 to 14896 (genbank Bos taurus reference sequence; accession No. V00654). The GC bases (at positions 14886 and 14887) are conserved for all the nucleic acid material corresponding to the predefined species making up the group that it is desired to investigate, in this case birds and mammals. No more than 4 mutated positions are observed for the remainder of the cited signature for all the sequences making up the nucleic acid material of the group of chosen birds and mammals. The presence of these two bases at the positions indicated above thus makes it possible to determine the presence of mammals and of birds in the sample.

Identification of the presence of fish is determined by means of:

-   1/ the signature P1, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID No. 239     ATAATAACCTCTTT, positions 14713 to 14726 (Gadus morhua reference     sequence; genbank accession No. X99772). The ATA or ATG bases     (positions 14716-14717-14718) are conserved for all the nucleic acid     material corresponding to the predefined species making up the group     that it is desired to investigate, in this case fish. No more than 4     mutated positions are observed for the remainder of the cited     signature for all the sequences making up the nucleic acid material     of the group of chosen fish. The presence of these three bases at     the positions indicated above thus makes it possible to determine     the presence of fish in the sample; -   2/ the signature sequence of P2, corresponding to the sequence SEQ     ID No. 270, positions 14512 to 14526 (genbank Gadus morhua reference     sequence; accession No. X99772). The T base at position 14519     (genbank Gadus morhua reference sequence; accession No. X99772) is     conserved for all the nucleic acid material corresponding to the     predefined species making up the group that it is desired to     investigate, in this case fish. No more than 5 mutated positions are     observed for the remainder of the cited signature for all the     sequences making up the nucleic acid material of the group of chosen     fish. The presence of this base at the position indicated above thus     makes it possible to determine the presence of fish in the sample; -   3/ the signature sequence P3, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID     No. 271, positions 14710 to 14724 (genbank Gadus morhua reference     sequence; accession No. X99772). The T base at position 14717     (genbank Gadus morhua reference sequence; accession No. X99772) is     conserved for all the nucleic acid material corresponding to the     predefined species making up the group that it is desired to     investigate, in this case fish. No more than 5 mutated positions are     observed for the remainder of the cited signature for all the     sequences making up the nucleic acid material of the group of chosen     fish. The presence of this base at the position indicated above thus     makes it possible to determine the presence of fish in the sample.

The present invention therefore also relates to a nucleotide sequence, characterized in that it is chosen from the group consisting of:

-   -   a) the reference sequences SEQ ID Nos 235 to 239, and 262 to         271,     -   b) the sequences complementary to each of the sequences SEQ ID         Nos 235 to 239, and 262 to 271, respectively, the         complementarity meaning any sequence capable of hybridizing, at         a temperature of between 20 and 70° C., in saline solution at a         concentration of approximately 0.5 to 1M, with any one of the         sequences SEQ ID Nos 235 to 239, and 262 to 271,     -   c) the sequences homologous to each of the sequences SEQ ID Nos         235 to 239, and 262 to 271, and of the sequences according to         b), respectively, the homology meaning any sequence, for example         fragment, comprising a series of at least 5 contiguous         nucleotides included in any one of said sequences and also a         group of two or three nucleotides belonging to a region which         has been conserved for all the species of a group under         consideration, and said sequence exhibiting at least 70%         identity with said any sequence.

It relates more particularly to the nucleotide sequences as defined above, and characterized in that they consist of a group of 2 to 3 nucleotides included in one of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 235 to 239 and corresponding to a region which has been conserved for all the species of a group under consideration.

It also relates to the use of the sequences defined above, that is to say characterized in that they consist of a group of 2 to 3 nucleotides included in one of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 235 to 239 and corresponding to a region which has been conserved for all the species of a group under consideration, for determining a group of original animal species in a sample liable to contain an ingredient obtained from at least one animal species belonging to said group of animal species under consideration.

These sequences, termed signature sequences, are chosen from the group consisting of the nucleotide sequence consisting of the CAA bases at positions 14689-14690-14691 of SEQ ID No. 235, the nucleotide sequence consisting of the CT bases at positions 15076-15077 of SEQ ID No. 236, the nucleotide sequence consisting of the CT bases at positions 15101-15102 of SEQ ID No. 237, the nucleotide sequence consisting of the GC bases at positions 14886-14887 of SEQ ID No. 238, and the nucleotide sequence consisting of the ATA bases at positions 14713-14726 of SEQ ID No. 239.

It relates more particularly to the nucleotide sequences as defined above, and characterized in that they consist of 1 nucleotide included in one of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 262 to 271 and corresponding to a region which has been conserved for all the species of a group under consideration.

It also relates to the use of the sequences defined above, that is to say characterized in that they consist of one nucleotide included in one of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 262 to 271 and corresponding to a region which has been conserved for all the species of a group under consideration, for determining a group of original animal species in a sample liable to contain an ingredient obtained from at least one animal species belonging to said group of animal species under consideration.

These sequences, termed signature sequences, are chosen from the group consisting of the nucleotide sequence consisting of the T base at position 14641 of SEQ ID No. 262, the nucleotide sequence consisting of the A base at position 14778 of SEQ ID No. 263, the nucleotide sequence consisting of the C base at position 15043 of SEQ ID No. 264, the nucleotide sequence consisting of the C base at position 15076 of SEQ ID No. 265, the nucleotide sequence consisting of the C base at position 15101 of SEQ ID No. 266, the nucleotide sequence consisting of the A base at position 15109 of SEQ ID No. 267, the nucleotide sequence consisting of the C base at position 15115 of SEQ ID No. 268, the nucleotide sequence consisting of the C base at position 15239 of SEQ ID No. 269, the nucleotide sequence consisting of the T base at position 14519 of SEQ ID No. 270, and the nucleotide sequence consisting of the T base at position 14717 of SEQ ID No. 271.

It also relates to a reagent for determining at least one original animal species, comprising a solid support, which may or may not be divided up, to which a nucleotide sequence chosen from the group consisting of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 235 to 239, and Nos 262 to 271, is attached.

It also relates to the method for determining a group of original animal species in a sample liable to contain an ingredient obtained from at least one species belonging to said group of animal species under consideration, characterized in that:

-   -   a) a nucleic acid fraction obtained from said sample is         provided,     -   b) at least one reagent comprising a sequence defined above is         provided,     -   c) the nucleic acid fraction and said reagent are brought into         contact, and     -   d) any signal or item of information resulting from the presence         of one of the signature sequences chosen from the group         consisting of the nucleotide sequence consisting of the CAA         bases at positions 14689-14690-14691 of SEQ ID No. 235, the         nucleotide sequence consisting of the CT bases at positions         15076-15077 of SEQ ID No. 236, the nucleotide sequence         consisting of the CT bases at positions 15101-15102 of SEQ ID         No. 237, the nucleotide sequence consisting of the GC bases at         positions 14886-14887 of SEQ ID No. 238, and the nucleotide         sequence consisting of the ATA or ATG bases at positions         14713-14726 of SEQ ID No. 239, the nucleotide sequence         consisting of the T base at position 14641 of SEQ ID No. 262,         the nucleotide sequence consisting of the A base at position         14778 of SEQ ID No. 263, the nucleotide sequence consisting of         the C base at position 15043 of SEQ ID No. 264, the nucleotide         sequence consisting of the C base at position 15076 of SEQ ID         No. 265, the nucleotide sequence consisting of the C base at         position 15101 of SEQ ID No. 266, the nucleotide sequence         consisting of the A base at position 15109 of SEQ ID No. 267,         the nucleotide sequence consisting of the C base at position         15115 of SEQ ID No. 268, the nucleotide sequence consisting of         the C base at position 15239 of SEQ ID No. 269, the nucleotide         sequence consisting of the T base at position 14519 of SEQ ID         No. 270, and the nucleotide sequence consisting of the T base at         position 14717 of SEQ ID No. 271, characterizing the presence in         said sample of a class of original animal species or of a group         of original animal species, is determined by means of detection.

The identifying sequences can also be used as specific primers in PCR identification techniques, by mixing several primers chosen from the nucleotide sequences specific for an animal species in the presence of other species liable to be present in the media to be assayed, and in that at least one of said primers is chosen from the group consisting of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 1 to 232, and 242 to 261, and any sequences comprising at least 5 contiguous monomers included in any one of said sequences and exhibiting at least 70% identity with said any sequence.

The invention also relates to the nucleotide sequences chosen from the group consisting of the sequences SEQ ID No. 240 to SEQ ID No. 241 and SEQ ID Nos 272 to 276, and to their use as universal amplification primers, that is to say primers which can be used for detecting species in a mixture and which are sufficiently sensitive, with respect to various species, to avoid erroneous results due to the masking of certain species present in a very small proportion, because of too great a sensitivity with respect to another species liable to be present in a larger proportion. These primers are preferably used as pairs chosen from the following pairs: SEQ ID No. 240 and SEQ ID No. 241, SEQ ID No. 272 and SEQ ID No. 273, and SEQ ID No. 274 and SEQ ID No. 275.

These primers are used for carrying out the amplification steps of the methods described above, in particular when the samples comprise or are liable to contain biological material originating from species belonging to the vertebrate group.

The following examples are given by way of illustration and are in no way limiting in nature. They will make it possible to understand the invention more fully.

EXAMPLE 1 Detection of an Animal Species in a Sample (Table 1)

a) Preparation of the Sample

Samples originating from several animal species (mammals, birds, fish) were used in this example. The samples could be divided up into several categories:

-   -   reference samples (denoted “ref” in table 1):     -   reference DNA from various animal species: mammalian DNA         (cattle, goat, sheep, pig, rabbit, hare, reindeer), bird DNA         (ostrich, chicken, turkey, goose), fish DNA (cod, yellowfin         tuna, skipjack tuna, hake, Spanish mackerel, little tunny,         rainbow trout, sea trout, brook trout);     -   tissue samples taken in the laboratory according to a         conventional protocol: oral sample from a goat, from a cat;         mouse;     -   food samples, the exact composition and origin of which are         known: blanquette of veal, beef Bourguignon, veal tongue in         sauce, joint of lamb, joint of pork, chicken leg;     -   commercial samples (denoted “comm” in table 1) obtained from         mass marketing, which are beef-based (calves' liver, beefsteak,         veal chop, ground beef, joint of veal, Parmentier, Bolognaise),         pork-based (ham, sausage, sausages, Chinese pork), poultry-based         (ostrich steak, roast chicken, roast guinea-fowl, turkey leg,         roast goose) or fish-based (European eel, salted cod fillet,         canned yellowtail tuna, canned skipjack tuna, Atlantic salmon         fillet, common mackerel, rainbow trout, arctic char).

All the samples are numbered (E1 to E57), and this numbering was kept in the 5 examples illustrating the invention.

Each sample is placed in a baglight® bag (Intersciences) and then blended until it is homogenized in a BagMixer®-type blender (Intersciences).

b) Lysis of 25 mg of Sample and Purification of Total DNA

The sample is lyzed and nucleic acids are purified using the Dneasy™ tissue kit (Qiagen, ref. 69504) applying the protocol recommended by Qiagen for extracting and purifying the nucleic acids from animal tissues.

c) PCR

A PCR is carried out using the Ampli Taq gold kit from Applied Biosystems according to the protocol below. The following are added to 2 μl of the total DNA suspension: the 10× gold buffer, 3.5 mM of MgCl₂, 100 μM of dNTPs (deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates), 2U of Taq gold polymerase, and 0.4 μM of the euvertebrate primers as described by Bartlett et al., in 1992 (Biotechniques Vol. 12 No. 3 pp. 408-412):

-   SEQ ID No. 233: 5′CCATCCAACA TCTCAGCATG ATGAAA 3′ (sequence CDL), -   SEQ ID No. 234: 5′ GAAATTAATA CGACTCACTA TAGGGAGACC ACACCCCTCA     GAATGATATT TGTCCTCA 3′ (sequence CBHT7, in bold: T7 polymerase     promoter), in order to obtain 50 μl of final reaction volume.

A first PCR cycle of 10 minutes is carried out at 95° C., followed by 35 cycles each made up of the following 3 steps: 94° C. for 45 seconds, 50° C. for 45 seconds, 72° C. for 2 minutes. A final extension of 5 minutes at 72° C. is then carried out.

d) Verification of the Amplification

In order to verify the amplification, 5 μl of amplification product (or amplicon) are loaded onto a 1.5% agarose gel in an EDTA-Tris borate buffer. After migration for 20 minutes at 100 volts, the amplification band is visualized by staining with ethidium bromide and by illumination with ultraviolet light. The amplification is positive, as demonstrated by the presence of a band having the expected size (350 base pairs).

e) Identification of the Amplicon on a DNA Chip (Affymetrix, Santa Clara)

A biochip is synthesized on a solid support made of glass according to the method described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,744,305 (Affymetrix, Fodor et al.) using the resequencing strategy described in application WO 95/11995 (Affymax, Chee et al.) and according to the method described by A. Troesch et al. (J. Clin. Microbiol., 37(1): 49-55, 1999).

Each identifying sequence comprises 17 bases, with an interrogation position at the 10th position relative to the 3′ end of the sequence.

The analysis is carried out with the GeneChip® complete system (reference 900228, Affymetrix, Santa Clara, Calif.) which comprises the GeneArray® reader, the GeneChip® fluid station and the GeneChip® analytical software.

e.1. Transcription and Labeling of Amplicons

Due to the antisense primer CBHT7, all the amplification products have a promoter for T7 RNA polymerase. These amplicons will then serve as a matrix for a transcription reaction during which a fluorescent ribonucleotide will be incorporated.

A 2 μl aliquot is taken from the 50 μl of positive amplification product and is added to a transcription mixture containing the components of the Megascript T7 kit (Ambion, ref. 1334) and fluorescein-12-UTP (Roche, ref. 1427857). The final reaction mixture is prepared in 20 μl and the transcription reaction is carried out for 2 hours at 37° C.

e.2. Fragmentation of the Labeled Transcripts

In order to improve the hybridization conditions, the labeled transcripts are fragmented into fragments of approximately 20 nucleotides. For this, the 20 μl of labeled transcripts are subjected to the action of 30 mM imidazole (Sigma) and 30 mM manganese chloride (Merck) for 30 minutes at 65° C.

e.3. Hybridization on the DNA Chip

A 7 μl aliquot is taken from the 20 μl of labeled and fragmented transcripts and is added to 700 μl of hybridization buffer (6× SSPE (Eurobio)), 5 mM DTAB (Sigma), 3M betaine (Acros), 0.01% antifoam (ref. A80082, Sigma), and 250 μg/ml of herring sperm DNA (Gibco). This mixture is hybridized on the chip under the following conditions: 30 minutes at 40° C. After washing, the chip is scanned and the hybridization image obtained is then analyzed using the GeneChip® software (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, Calif.).

The hybridization spots make it possible to reconstitute the sequence of the amplicon, which is then compared with the reference sequences of the chip. The sequence (and therefore the species which corresponds to it) which exhibits the best percentage homology (also called “base-call”, expressed as %) with the sequence of the amplicon is selected for the identification.

e.4. Interpretation of the Results

Only part of the sequence of 350 bases is analyzed for each species. It corresponds to all or some of the identifying probes. The interpretation threshold, i.e. the level of identification, is set at a 90% base-call on the signature sequence. Below this threshold, the target, and therefore the corresponding species, is not considered to be identified.

f) Result

The DNA extracted from the food sample gives rise to an amplification product, and then to an identification on the chip. As shown in table 1, the reference samples are correctly analyzed by this technique, which also allows the detection of animal species (mammal, bird, fish) in commercial samples. TABLE 1 Detection of an animal species in a sample % base call Identification Signature on Animal species Nature of the sample sequence chip Cattle (Bos taurus) ref E1: bovine DNA Bos taurus 100% cattle E2: bourguignon Bos taurus 100% cattle E3: veal tongue Bos taurus 100% cattle E4: blanquette Bos taurus 100% cattle of veal comm E5: veal chop Bos taurus 95% cattle E6: ground beef Bos taurus 100% cattle E7: joint of veal Bos taurus 100% cattle E8: Parmentier Bos taurus 100% cattle E9: bolognaise Bos taurus 100% cattle E10: beef steak Bos taurus 100% cattle E11: calves' liver Bos taurus 100% cattle Goat (Capra hircus) ref E12: goat DNA Capra hircus 100% goat E13: oral Capra hircus goat sample 100% Sheep (Ovis aries) ref E14: sheep DNA Ovis aries sheep 95.5% E15: joint of Ovis aries 100% sheep lamb Pig (Sus scrofa) ref E16: pig DNA Sus scrofa 100% pig E17: joint of Sus scrofa 100% pig pork comm E18: ham Sus scrofa 100% pig E19: sausage Sus scrofa 100% pig E20: sausages Sus scrofa 100% pig E21: Chinese Sus scrofa 100% pig pork Rabbit (Oryctolagus ref E22: rabbit DNA Oryctolagus rabbit cuniculus) cuniculus 100% Hare (Lepus ref E22: hare DNA Lepus cuniculus hare cuniculus) 100% Reindeer (Rangifer ref E23: reindeer Rangifer reindeer tarandus) DNA tarandus 100% Mouse (Mus ref E24: mouse Mus musculus mouse musculus) 100% Cat (Felis catus) ref E25: oral Felis catus cat sample 100% Ostrich (Struthio ref E26: ostrich Struthio ostrich camelus) DNA camelus 100% comm E27: ostrich Struthio ostrich steak camelus 100% Chicken (Gallus ref E28: chicken Gallus gallus chicken gallus) DNA 100% E29: Chicken Gallus gallus chicken leg 94.7% comm E30: roast Gallus gallus chicken chicken 100% Guinea-fowl (Numida comm E31: roast Numida guinea- meleagris) guinea-fowl meleagris 100% fowl Turkey (Meleagris ref E32: turkey DNA Meleagris turkey gallopovo) gallopovo 100% E33: turkey Meleagris turkey joint gallopovo 100% comm E34: turkey Meleagris turkey legs gallopovo 100% Goose (Anser anser) ref E35: goose DNA Anser anser goose 100% comm E36: roast Anser anser goose goose 100% European eel comm E37: whole fish Anguilla European (Anguilla anguilla) anguilla 100% eel Cod (Gadus morhua) ref E38: cod DNA Gadus morhua cod 100% comm E39: salted cod Gadus morhua cod fillet 100% Yellowfin tuna ref E40: yellowfin Thunnus 100% tuna (Thunnus albacares) tuna DNA comm E41: canned Thunnus 100% tuna yellowfin tuna Skipjack tuna ref E42: skipjack Thunnus 94.7% tuna (Katsuwonis tuna DNA pelamis) comm E43: canned Thunnus 94.7% tuna skipjack tuna Atlantic salmon comm E44: Atlantic Salmo salar Atlantic (Salmo salar) salmon fillet 100% salmon Hake (Merluccius ref E45: hake DNA Merluccius hake merluccius) 94.4% Spanish mackerel ref E46: Spanish Scomber Spanish (Scomber japonicus) mackerel DNA japonicus 100% mackerel Common mackerel comm E47: whole fish Scomber common (Scomber scombrus) scombrus 100% mackerel Little tunny ref E48: little Euthynnus little (Euthynnus tunny DNA alleteratus tunny alleteratus) 100% Rainbow trout ref E49: rainbow Oncorhyncus rainbow (Oncorhyncus trout DNA mykiss 100% trout mykiss) comm E50: whole fish Oncorhyncus rainbow mykiss 100% trout Sea trout (Salmo ref E51: sea trout Salmo trutta sea trout trutta fario) DNA fario 100% Brook trout ref E52: brook Salvenius brook (Salvenius trout DNA fontinalis 100% trout fontinalis) Arctic char comm E53: whole fish Salvenius Arctic (Salvenius alpinus) alpinus 100% char

EXAMPLE 2 Detection of Several Animal Species in a Sample (Table 2)

The experimental conditions concerning the preparation of the samples, the lysis of the samples and the purification of total DNA, the PCR, the verification of the amplification and the identification of the amplicon on a DNA chip (Affymetrix, Santa Clara) are identical to that which is described in example 1.

In this example, several animal species are simultaneously analyzed from the same sample. The analysis is carried out on:

-   -   reference samples (denoted “ref”, as in example 1) consisting         of:     -   a mixture of DNA originating from two different animal species,         in a variable proportion of each of the 2 species,     -   a mixture of amplicons (obtained according to the protocol of         example 1), in a variable proportion of each of the two species;     -   commercial samples (denoted “comm”, as in example 1), derived         from mass marketing, comprising several animal species in the         same sample.

As presented in table 2, these results show that mixtures of species can be detected simultaneously in the same sample, whether this sample consists of a mixture of DNA, a mixture of amplicons or a commercial sample comprising several species. TABLE 2 Detection of several animal species in a sample % base call - signature Chip Sample Composition sequence identification 1) Mixture of amplicons (after amplification) Beef (E1) + turkey 80% v/v Bos taurus 100% cattle and (E32) 20% v/v Meleagris gallopovo 94.1% turkey Beef (E1) + turkey 50% v/v Bos taurus 100% cattle and (E32) 50% v/v Meleagris gallopovo 100% turkey Beef (E1) + turkey 20% v/v Bos taurus 100% cattle and (E32) 80% v/v Meleagris gallopovo 100% turkey 2) Mixtures of DNA (before amplification) Pork (E16) + rabbit 50% v/v Oryctolagus cuniculus 100% pig and (E22) 50% v/v Sus scrofa 94.7%   rabbit Chicken (E22) + turkey 50% v/v Gallus gallus 100% chicken and (E32) 50% v/v Meleagris gallopovo 100% turkey Beef (E1) + turkey 99.9% v/v   Bos taurus 100% cattle (E32) 0.1% v/v  Meleagris gallopovo 17.6% Beef (E1) + turkey 99% v/v Bos taurus 100% cattle and (E32)  1% v/v Meleagris gallopovo 95.1% turkey Beef (E1) + turkey 90% v/v Bos taurus 100% cattle and (E32) 10% v/v Meleagris gallopovo 100% turkey Beef (E1) + turkey 50% v/v Bos taurus 100% cattle and (E32) 50% v/v Meleagris gallopovo 100% turkey Beef (E1) + turkey  1% v/v Bos taurus 100% cattle and (E32) 99% v/v Meleagris gallopovo 100% turkey Beef (E1) + turkey 0.1% v/v  Bos taurus 91% turkey (E32) 99.9% v/v   Meleagris gallopovo 95.1% Beef (E1) + mutton  5% v/v Bos taurus 96.5% cattle and (E14) 95% v/v Ovis aries 81.1% sheep Pork (E16) + chicken 33% v/v Sus scrofa 96.5% pig, chicken (E22) + turkey 33% v/v Gallus gallus 95.6% and turkey (E32) 33% v/v Meleagris gallopovo 88.9% 3) Commercial products Pâté (E54) pork + poultry Sus scrofa 100% pig and Meleagris gallopovo 94.1% turkey White sausage pork + poultry Sus scrofa 100% pig and (E55) Meleagris gallopovo 94.1% turkey Kebab burger beef + Bos taurus 100% cattle, goat (E56) mutton + Capra hircus 94.1% and sheep goat Ovis aries 81.2% Ravioli pork + beef Sus scrofa 100% cattle and bolognese (E57) Bos taurus 95.8% pig Fromage au cows' Bos taurus 100% cattle and saumon [cheese cheese + Salmo salar 100% salmon with salmon] salmon (E58) Poultry poultry Gallus gallus 95% turkey and chipolata (E59) Meleagris gallopovo 88% chicken Torti and pork + poultry Sus scrofa 100% pig and fricadelles Gallus gallus 96.5% chicken (E60)

EXAMPLE 3 Detection of One or More Animal Species in Meals Intended for Animal Feed

A) Preparation of the Sample

The experimental conditions concerning the preparation of the samples are similar to those which are described in example 1. The samples are derived from meals intended for animal feed. These samples (numbered from F1 to F17) were listed beforehand in 4 categories, after analysis of the presence of bone fragments as described by Michard (Revue de l'Alimentation animale [Review of animal feed], vol. 508, pp. 43-48, 1997; reference technique).

A distinction is then made between “negative” samples, when the number of bone fragments is less than 20, “trace” samples when there are more than 20 bone fragments but a proportion of bone present in the sample of less than 0.01%, samples “to be monitored” when the proportion is between 0.01% and 1‰, and the “positive” samples when the proportion is greater than 1‰.

b) Lysis of the Sample and Purification of Total DNA

For lysing the sample and purifying the nucleic acids, the Dneasy™ tissue kit (Qiagen, ref. 69504) is used as described in example 1, along with 25 mg of meal. The technique is adapted in order to eliminate the PCR inhibitors. Specifically, these inhibitors (polyphenols, cations (Ca²⁺, Fe³⁺), traces of heavy metals, tannins, carbohydrates, salts (NaCl, nitrites)) are present in plants in considerable amounts and, as a result, in the meals intended for animal feed. This adaptation is as follows:

-   -   1- After lysis with the ATL buffer and proteinase K, chelex is         added during the DNA purification step (200 μl of InstaGene™         Matrix (BIO-RAD, ref. 732-6030)).     -   2- After incubation for 30 minutes at 56° C., a centrifugation         (5 minutes; 14 000 rpm) is carried out and the extraction is         carried out as described in the Qiagen Dneasy™ tissue kit         manual.         c) PCR

A PCR is carried out using the Ampli Taq gold kit from Applied Biosystems. The following are added to 10 μl of the suspension of meal-extracted total DNA: the 10× gold buffer, 3.5 mM of MgCl₂, 100 μM of dNTPs (deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates), 2U of Taq gold polymerase, 0.4 μM of the euvertebrate primers CBL and CBHT7 as defined in example 1, in order to obtain 50 μl of final reaction volume. A first PCR cycle of 10 minutes at 95° C. is performed, followed by 35 cycles each composed of the following 3 steps: 94° C. 45 sec, 50° C. 45 sec, 72° C. 2 minutes. A final extension of 5 minutes at 72° C. is then performed.

d) Verification of the Amplification

The amplification is verified as described in example 1.

e) Identification of the Amplicon on a DNA Chip (Affymetrix, Santa Clara).

This identification step is carried out as described in example 1.

f) Result

The results obtained are given in table 3, and compared with the results obtained by means of the conventional protocol of the prior art. There is complete agreement between the 2 techniques, but with, in addition, indication of the species in the case of the invention. The invention makes it possible to detect the presence of one or more animal species in samples of meals intended for animal feed. TABLE 3 Detection of one or more animal species in meals intended for animal feed Conventional protocol Protocol according Category Bone fragments to the invention F1 Negative <20 fragments No species detected F2 Negative <20 fragments No species detected F3 Negative <20 fragments No species detected F4 Negative <20 fragments No species detected F5 Trace <0.01% No species detected F6 Trace <0.01% No species detected F7 Trace <0.01% Pig F8 Trace <0.01% No species detected F9 Trace <0.01% Pig, mouse, cattle F10 To be monitored  0.05% Pig, cattle F11 To be monitored  0.03% Pig, cattle F12 To be monitored  0.02% Pig, rat, cattle F13 To be monitored  0.01% Pig F14 Positive  0.23% Pig, cattle F15 Positive  0.23% Cattle, pig F16 Positive  4.70% Cattle, pig, mouse, turkey F17 Positive  3.50% Cattle, mouse, pig, chicken

EXAMPLE 4 Detection of the Class of the Species Contained in a Sample (Table 4)

The aim of this example is to obtain a technique for detecting the vertebrate class (mammals, birds, fish, etc.) of the original animal of the ingredient contained in a food sample or a sample of meal intended for animal feed.

The experimental conditions concerning a) the preparation of the sample, b) the lysis of the sample and the purification of total DNA, c) the PCR, d) the verification of the amplification and e) the identification of the amplicon on a DNA chip (Affymetrix, Santa Clara), are similar to that which is described in examples 1 and 3.

Identification of the presence of a mammal and/or fish and/or birds is determined by the presence of signatures specific for each class.

For example, for detecting the presence of mammals, use will be made of the signature sequence M1, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID No. 235 GACACAACAA CAGC, positions 14685 to 14698 (genbank Bos taurus reference sequence; accession No. V00654). The CAA bases at positions 14689-14690-14691 (genbank Bos taurus reference sequence; accession No. V00654) are conserved for all the nucleic acid material corresponding to the predefined species making up the group that it is desired to investigate, in this case mammals. No more than 5 mutated positions are observed for the remainder of the cited signature for all the sequences making up the nucleic acid material of the group of chosen mammals. The presence of these three bases at the positions indicated above thus makes it possible to determine the presence of mammals in the sample.

Identification of the presence of birds is determined by the signatures:

-   -   O1, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID No. 236 TCCCTAGCCT         TCTC, positions 15073 to 15086 (Gallus gallus reference         sequence; genbank accession No. X52392). The CT bases (positions         15076-15077) are conserved for all the nucleic acid material         corresponding to the predefined species making up the group that         it is desired to investigate, in this case birds. No more than 5         mutated positions are observed for the remainder of the cited         signature for all the sequences making up the nucleic acid         material of the group of chosen birds. The presence of these two         bases at the positions indicated above thus makes it possible to         determine the presence of birds in the sample.     -   O2, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID No. 237 ACACTTGCCG         GAAC, positions 15098 to 15111 (Gallus gallus reference         sequence; genbank accession No. X52392). The CT or CA bases         (positions 15101-15102) are conserved for all the nucleic acid         material corresponding to the predefined species making up the         group that it is desired to investigate, in this case birds. No         more than 4 mutated positions are observed for the remainder of         the cited signature for all the sequences making up the nucleic         acid material of the group of chosen birds. The presence of         these two bases at the positions indicated above thus makes it         possible to determine the presence of birds in the sample.

Identification of the presence of mammals and of birds is determined by means of the signature vi, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID No. 238 ATAGCCACAGCATT, positions 14883 to 14896 (genbank Bos taurus reference sequence; accession No. V00654). The GC bases (at positions 14886 and 14887) are conserved for all the nucleic acid material corresponding to the predefined species making up the group that it is desired to investigate, in this case birds and mammals. No more than 4 mutated positions are observed for the remainder of the cited signature for all the sequences making up the nucleic acid material of the group of chosen birds and mammals. The presence of these two bases at the positions indicated above thus makes it possible to determine the presence of mammals and of birds in the sample.

Identification of the presence of fish is determined by the signature P1, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID No. 239 ATAATAACCTCTTT, positions 14713 to 14726 (Gadus morhua reference sequence; genbank accession No. X99772). The ATA or ATG bases (positions 14716-14717-14718) are conserved for all the nucleic acid material corresponding to the predefined species making up the group that it is desired to investigate, in this case fish. No more than 4 mutated positions are observed for the remainder of the cited signature for all the sequences making up the nucleic acid material of the group of chosen fish. The presence of these three bases at the positions indicated above thus makes it possible to determine the presence of fish in the sample.

As shown in table 4, this technique makes it possible to detect the presence of mammals and/or birds and/or fish, whether these species are present on their own or as a mixture. TABLE 4a Detection of the class of species in a sample Samples Signatures detected Interpretation E1: bovine DNA V1 and M1 mammal E16: pig DNA V1 and M1 mammal E17: joint of V1 and M1 mammal pork E12: goat DNA V1 and M1 mammal E13: oral sample V1 and M1 mammal from goat E35: goose DNA V1 and O1 and O2 bird E49: rainbow P1 fish trout DNA E51: sea trout P1 fish DNA Bovine/turkey V1 and M1 and O1 and mammal/bird amplicon mixture O2 E15: joint of V1 and M1 mammal lamb F9: “trace” meal V1 and M1 mammal F1: “negative” No positive no meal signatures identification Meal P1 fish

A variant consists in selecting not a triplet of nucleotides, but a single nucleotide representative of a given class of species.

For example, for detecting the presence of mammals, use will be made, without distinction, of:

-   1/ The signature sequence M2, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID     No. 262 CTAATCCTACAAATC, positions 14634 to 14648 (genbank Bos     taurus reference sequence; accession No. V00654). The T base at     position 14641 (genbank Bos taurus reference sequence; accession No.     V00654) is conserved for all the nucleic acid material corresponding     to the predefined species making up the group that it is desired to     investigate, in this case mammals. No more than 5 mutated positions     are observed for the remainder of the cited signature for all the     sequences making up the nucleic acid material of the group of chosen     mammals. The presence of this base at the position indicated above     thus makes it possible to determine the presence of mammals in the     sample. -   2/ The signature sequence M3, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID     No. 263 AGCTTCAATGTTTTT, positions 14771 to 14785 (genbank Bos     taurus reference sequence; accession No. V00654). The A base at     position 14778 (genbank Bos taurus reference sequence; accession No.     V00654) is conserved for all the nucleic acid material corresponding     to the predefined species making up the group that it is desired to     investigate, in this case mammals. No more than 5 mutated positions     are observed for the remainder of the cited signature for all the     sequences making up the nucleic acid material of the group of chosen     mammals. The presence of this base at the position indicated above     thus makes it possible to determine the presence of mammals in the     sample.

For detecting birds, use may be made, without distinction, of:

-   1/ The signature sequence 03, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID     No. 264 CGGCCTACTACTAGC, positions 15036 to 15050 (genbank Gallus     gallus reference sequence; accession No. X52392). The C base at     position 15043 (genbank Gallus gallus reference sequence; accession     No. X52392) is conserved for all the nucleic acid material     corresponding to the predefined species making up the group that it     is desired to investigate, in this case birds. No more than 5     mutated positions are observed for the remainder of the cited     signature for all the sequences making up the nucleic acid material     of the group of chosen birds. The presence of this base at the     position indicated above thus makes it possible to determine the     presence of birds in the sample. -   2/ The signature sequence 04, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID     No. 265 CACATCCCTAGCCTT, positions 15069 to 15083 (genbank Gallus     gallus reference sequence; accession No. X52392). The C base at     position 15076 (genbank Gallus gallus reference sequence; accession     No. X52392) is conserved for all the nucleic acid material     corresponding to the predefined species making up the group that it     is desired to investigate, in this case birds. No more than 5     mutated positions are observed for the remainder of the cited     signature for all the sequences making up the nucleic acid material     of the group of chosen birds. The presence of this base at the     position indicated above thus makes it possible to determine the     presence of birds in the sample. -   3/ The signature sequence 05, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID     No. 266 GCCCACACTTGCCGG, positions 15094 to 15108 (genbank Gallus     gallus reference sequence; accession No. X52392). The C base at     position 15101 (genbank Gallus gallus reference sequence; accession     No. X52392) is conserved for all the nucleic acid material     corresponding to the predefined species making up the group that it     is desired to investigate, in this case birds. No more than 5     mutated positions are observed for the remainder of the cited     signature for all the sequences making up the nucleic acid material     of the group of chosen birds. The presence of this base at the     position indicated above thus makes it possible to determine the     presence of birds in the sample. -   4/ The signature sequence 06, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID     No. 267 TTGCCGGAACGTACA, positions 15102 to 15116 (genbank Gallus     gallus reference sequence; accession No. X52392). The A base at     position 15109 (genbank Gallus gallus reference sequence; accession     No. X52392) is conserved for all the nucleic acid material     corresponding to the predefined species making up the group that it     is desired to investigate, in this case birds. No more than 5     mutated positions are observed for the remainder of the cited     signature for all the sequences making up the nucleic acid material     of the group of chosen birds. The presence of this base at the     position indicated above thus makes it possible to determine the     presence of birds in the sample. -   5/ The signature sequence 07, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID     No. 268 GAACGTACAATACGG, positions 15108 to 15122 (genbank Gallus     gallus reference sequence; accession No. X52392). The C base at     position 15115 (genbank Gallus gallus reference sequence; accession     No. X52392) is conserved for all the nucleic acid material     corresponding to the predefined species making up the group that it     is desired to investigate, in this case birds. No more than 5     mutated positions are observed for the remainder of the cited     signature for all the sequences making up the nucleic acid material     of the group of chosen birds. The presence of this base at the     position indicated above thus makes it possible to determine the     presence of birds in the sample. -   6/ The signature sequence 08, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID     No. 269 TGAAACACAGGAGTA, positions 15232 to 15246 (genbank Gallus     gallus reference sequence; accession No. X52392). The C base at     position 15239 (genbank Gallus gallus reference sequence; accession     No. X52392) is conserved for all the nucleic acid material     corresponding to the predefined species making up the group that it     is desired to investigate, in this case birds. No more than 5     mutated positions are observed for the remainder of the cited     signature for all the sequences making up the nucleic acid material     of the group of chosen birds. The presence of this base at the     position indicated above thus makes it possible to determine the     presence of birds in the sample.

For detecting fish, use may be made, without distinction, of:

-   1/ The signature sequence P2, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID     No. 270 TCAGACATCGAGACA, positions 14512 to 14526 (genbank Gadus     morhua reference sequence; accession No. X99772). The T base at     position 14519 (genbank Gadus morhua reference sequence; accession     No. X99772) is conserved for all the nucleic acid material     corresponding to the predefined species making up the group that it     is desired to investigate, in this case fish. No more than 5 mutated     positions are observed for the remainder of the cited signature for     all the sequences making up the nucleic acid material of the group     of chosen fish. The presence of this base at the position indicated     above thus makes it possible to determine the presence of fish in     the sample. -   2/ The signature sequence P3, corresponding to the sequence SEQ ID     No. 271 GTAATAATAACCTCT, positions 14710 to 14724 (genbank Gadus     morhua reference sequence; accession No. X99772). The T base at     position 14717 (genbank Gadus morhua reference sequence; accession     No. X99772) is conserved for all the nucleic acid material     corresponding to the predefined species making up the group that it     is desired to investigate, in this case fish. No more than 5 mutated     positions are observed for the remainder of the cited signature for     all the sequences making up the nucleic acid material of the group     of chosen fish. The presence of this base at the position indicated     above thus makes it possible to determine the presence of fish in     the sample.

As shown in table 4b, this technique makes it possible to detect the presence of mammals and/or of birds and/or of fish in a sample, in particular a food sample. TABLE 4b Detection of a class of species in a sample Samples Signatures detected Interpretation Pork liver pâté M3 Mammals Beef M4 Mammals Chicken O3 and O4 and O5 and Birds O6 Chicken paella O3 and O4 and O5 and Birds O6 and O7 Spanish mackerel P2 Fish Canned sardine P3 Fish Fish meal P2 Fish Fish meal P3 Fish Fresh guinea-fowl O1, O2, O3, O4, O5, Birds O6, O7 and O8

EXAMPLE 5 Universal Primers for Vertebrate Amplification (Table 5a and 5b)

The aim of the experiments presented in this example is to obtain primers which are even more sensitive than those described in the preceding examples, and more universal for detecting species in mixtures. In fact, the primers used in examples 1 to 4 are very sensitive with respect to bovine species, which can sometimes mask the presence of other species when they are present in a very small proportion.

Several pairs of primers were used in this example:

-   A first pair of primers comprising the following sequences -   SEQ ID No. 240: 5′ GACCTCCCAG CCCCATCAAA 3′ (sequence CBL 20) and -   SEQ ID No. 241: 5′ GAAATTAATA CGACTCACTA TAGGGAGACC ACACAGAATG     ATATTTGTCC TCA 3′ (sequence CBHT7 20, with, in bold, the location of     the T7 polymerase promoter) was chosen, initially, to increase the     threshold of detection of certain species, in particular turkey or     sheep, which, when they are in trace amounts in a commercial sample,     can be masked by the presence of bovine species.

The technique used to obtain the identification on the chip is as described in example 1a, 1b, 1c (with the modified primers), 1d, 1e.

As shown in table 5a, the use of these new primers makes it possible to obtain, in turkey, a threshold of detection of the order of 1% compared with the primers of examples 1 to 4 where the threshold of detection was of the order of 10%. The use of these new primers also makes it possible, in commercial samples originating from mass marketing, to identify animal species, in particular sheep species, present in trace amounts, which were masked by the presence of bovine species in the preceding examples (table 5b). TABLE 5a Threshold of detection of turkey species in a mixture with bovine species Detection on chip: % base call % DNA Primers ex. 1 to 4 Primers ex. 5 E1: bovine E32: turkey bovine turkey bovine turkey 100 0 100 5.9 100 29.4 99.9 0.1 100 17.6 100 41.2 99 1 100 76.5 100 94.1 90 10 100 100 100 100 50 50 100 100 100 100 1 99 100 100 90 100 0.1 99.9 100 100 60 100 0 100 50 94.1 26.9 100 Threshold of detection 0.10% 10% 1% 1%

TABLE 5b Detection of sheep species in a mixture with other species Detection on chip: species detected Commercial Primers Primers products Composition indicated ex. 1 to 4 ex. 5 E56: Kebab Bread, precooked ground Bovine Bovine burger meat (mutton, beef), Sheep sauce E57: Couscous Beef, mutton, vegetable Bovine Bovine meatball material Sheep

Secondly, a second set of primers was chosen and used in duplex with the pair of primers described in example 1 c: when detecting animal species initially present in canned food, there may be a problem of degradation of the DNA of the animal species that it is desired to detect, in particular in the case of canned fish (for example canned tuna).

The technique used to obtain the identification on the chip is as described in examples 1a, 1b, 1d, 1e, with the exception of step 1c: 2 additional internal primers (in addition to the universal primers), which make it possible to amplify the 350 bp region in two smaller portions, are used. Several pairs of primers are studied, making it possible to amplify the 350 bp region in two regions each of between 114 and 245 bp in length, according to the primers used. Two pairs of primers were then selected for their universal nature.

A first pair of primers (used in duplex 1) comprising the following sequences:

-   SEQ ID No. 272: 5′ AGAIGCICCGTTTGCGTG 3′ (flanked by the T7     polymerase promoter, and I=inosine) -   SEQ ID No. 273: TTCTTCTTTATCTGTITCTA (I=inosine) was chosen,     initially, in order to increase the threshold of detection of     certain fish species, in particular when these fish species are     present in a can of food.

A second pair of primers (used in duplex 2), comprising the following sequences, was also selected:

-   SEQ ID No. 274: 5′ RTCICGRCARATGTG 3′ (flanked by the T7 polymerase     promoter, and R=A or G, I=inosine) -   SEQ ID No. 275: 5′ GTIAAYTWYGGITGACTIATCCG 3′ (M=A or C, R=A or G,     Y=C or T, W=A or T, I=inosine).

In a manner comparable to that which is described in example 1c, a PCR is carried out using the Ampli Taq gold kit from Applied Biosystems (4311814). The following are added to 2 μl of the total DNA suspension: the 10× gold buffer, 3.5 mM of MgCl₂, 100 μM of dNTPs (deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates), 2U of Taq gold polymerase, 0.2 μM of the universal primers for vertebrates CBL and CBHT7 as presented in example 1c, and 0.2 μM of the primers chosen from the pairs of primers defined above (duplex 1 and duplex 2), in order to obtain 50 μl of final reaction volume. A first PCR cycle of 10 min at 95° C. is performed, followed by 35 cycles each composed of the following 3 steps: 94° C. 45 sec, 50° C. 45 sec, 72° C. 2 min. A final extension of 5 min at 72° C. is then performed.

The amplification is verified by loading 5 μl of amplification product (amplicon) onto a 1.5% agarose gel in EDTA-Tris borate. After migration for 20 min at 100V, two amplification bands are visualized by staining with ethidium bromide and by UV illumination.

The results obtained using each duplex are shown in table 5c, and compared with the results obtained by means of a “conventional” amplification using only the universal primers as described in example 1c. TABLE 5c Detection of several fish species in a sample (derived from a can of food) % base call - signature sequence Simplex according to Sample Duplex 1 Duplex 2 ex. 1 Canned white tuna  100%  100% 89.2% (Thunnus alalunga) Canned Atlantic salmon   90%   95%   93% (Salmo salar) Canned flaked yellowfin 89.5% 94.7% No tuna (Thunnus albacares) amplification It appears that the primers used in duplex 1 and 2 give better results and better sensitivity when it is desired to detect the presence of fish, in particular in a can of food.

It is quite evident that each primer can be used with or without the T7 promoter. 

1. A method for determining an original animal species in a sample liable to contain an ingredient obtained from at least said species, characterized in that: a) a nucleic acid fraction obtained from said sample is provided, b) at least one reagent specific for the animal species is provided, chosen from the group consisting of the reference sequences SEQ ID Nos 1 to 232, and Nos 242 to 261, the sequences complementary to each of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 1 to 232, and Nos 242 to 261, respectively, the complementarity meaning any sequence capable of hybridizing, at a temperature of between 20 and 70° C., in saline solution at a concentration of approximately 0.5 to 1 M, with any one of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 1 to 232, and Nos 242 to 261, the sequences homologous to each of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 1 to 232, and Nos 242 to 261 and of the sequences complementary to each of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 1 to 232, and Nos 242 to 261, respectively, the homology meaning any sequence, for example fragment, comprising a series of at least 5 contiguous nucleotides included in any one of said sequences, and exhibiting at least 70% identity with said any sequence, c) the nucleic acid fraction and said reagent are brought into contact, and d) any signal or item of information resulting from the specific reaction between said reagent and the nucleic acid fraction, characterizing the presence in said sample of said original animal species, is determined by means of detection.
 2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a set comprising a multiplicity of said reagents specific for the same original species and/or for respectively different original animal species is provided; and a multiplicity of signals or items of information characterizing the presence in said sample of the same original animal species and/or of several respectively different original animal species is determined.
 3. A nucleotide sequence characterized in that it is chosen from the group consisting of: a) the reference sequences SEQ ID Nos 1 to 232, and Nos 242 to 261, b) the sequences complementary to each of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 1 to 232, and Nos 242 to 261, respectively, the complementarity meaning any sequence capable of hybridizing, at a temperature of between 20 and 70° C., in saline solution at a concentration of approximately 0.5 to 1 M, with any one of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 1 to 232, and Nos 242 to 261, c) the sequences homologous to each of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 1 to 232, and Nos 242 to 261, and of the sequences according to b), respectively, the homology meaning any sequence, for example fragment, comprising a series of at least 5 contiguous nucleotides included in any one of said sequences, and exhibiting at least 70% identity with said any sequence.
 4. The use of a sequence as claimed in claim 3, for determining at least one original animal species in a sample liable to contain an ingredient obtained from at least said animal species.
 5. A probe for determining at least one original animal species, comprising at least one identifying nucleotide sequence as claimed in claim
 3. 6. A primer for the specific amplification of a nucleic acid from an original animal species, comprising at least one identifying nucleotide sequence as claimed in claim
 3. 7. A reagent for determining at least one original animal species, comprising a solid support, which may or may not be divided up, to which a nucleotide sequence as claimed in claim 3 is attached.
 8. A biochip comprising a solid support comprising a developed surface, on which a multiplicity of nucleotide sequences as claimed in claim 3 is arranged and attached, according to a predetermined arrangement.
 9. The method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the multiplicity of signals or items of information is determined with a biochip comprising a solid support comprising a developed surface, on which a multiplicity of nucleotide sequences is arranged and attached, according to a predetermined arrangement, said nucleotide sequences being chosen from the group consisting of: a) the reference sequences SEQ ID Nos 1 to 232, and Nos 242 to 261, b) the sequences complementary to each of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 1 to 232, and Nos 242 to 261, respectively, the complementarity meaning any sequence capable of hybridizing, at a temperature of between 20 and 70° C., in saline solution at a concentration of approximately 0.5 to 1 M, with any one of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 1 to 232, and Nos 242 to 261, c) the sequences homologous to each of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 1 to 232, and Nos 242 to 261, and of the sequences according to b), respectively, the homology meaning any sequence, for example fragment, comprising a series of at least 5 contiguous nucleotides included in any one of said sequences, and exhibiting at least 70% identity with said any sequence.
 10. A nucleotide sequence characterized in that it is chosen from the group consisting of: a) the reference sequences SEQ ID Nos 235 to 239, and 262 to 271, b) the sequences complementary to each of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 235 to 239, and 262 to 271, respectively, the complementarity meaning any sequence capable of hybridizing, at a temperature of between 20 and 70° C., in saline solution at a concentration of approximately 0.5 to 1M, with any one of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 235 to 239, and 262 to 271, c) the sequences homologous to each of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 235 to 239, and 262 to 271, and of the sequences according to b), respectively, the homology meaning any sequence, for example fragment, comprising a series of at least 5 contiguous nucleotides included in any one of said sequences and also a group of two or three nucleotides belonging to a region which has been conserved for all the species of a group under consideration, and said sequence exhibiting at least 70% identity with said any sequence.
 11. A nucleotide sequence characterized in that it consists of a group of 1 to 3 nucleotides included in one of the sequences as claimed in claim 10 and corresponding to a region which has been conserved for all the species of a group under consideration.
 12. The nucleotide sequence as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that it consists of the CAA bases at positions 14689-14690-14691 of SEQ ID No. 235 or the CT bases at positions 15076-15077 of SEQ ID No. 236 or the CT bases at positions 15101-15102 of SEQ ID No. 237 or the GC bases at positions 14886-14887 of SEQ ID No. 238 or the ATA bases at positions 14713-14726 of SEQ ID No.
 239. 13. The nucleotide sequence as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that it consists of the T base at position 14641 of SEQ ID No. 262 or the A base at position 14778 of SEQ ID No. 263 or the C base at position 15043 of SEQ ID No. 264, or the C base at position 15076 of SEQ ID No. 265, or the C base at position 15101 of SEQ ID No. 266, or the A base at position 15109 of SEQ ID No. 267, or the C base at position 15115 of SEQ ID No. 268, or the C base at position 15239 of SEQ ID No. 269, or of the nucleotide sequence consisting of the T base at position 14519 of SEQ ID No. 270 or the T base at position 14717 of SEQ ID No.
 271. 14. A reagent for determining at least one original animal species, comprising a solid support, which may or may not be divided up, to which a nucleotide sequence as claimed in claim 10 is attached.
 15. A method for determining a group of original animal species in a sample liable to contain an ingredient obtained from at least one species belonging to said group of animal species under consideration, characterized in that: a) a nucleic acid fraction obtained from said sample is provided, b) at least one reagent comprising a sequence as claimed in claim 10 is provided, c) the nucleic acid fraction and said reagent are brought into contact, and d) any signal or item of information resulting from the presence of a sequence consisting of a group of 1 to 3 nucleotides, characterizing the presence in said sample of a group of original animal species, is determined by means of detection, wherein the sequence consisting of a group of 1 to 3 nucleotides corresponds to a region that has been conserved for all the species of a group under consideration and is included in one of the sequences chosen from the group consisting of: a) the reference sequences SEQ ID Nos 235 to 239, and 262 to 271, b) the sequences complementary to each of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 235 to 239, and 262 to 271, respectively, the complementarity meaning any sequence capable of hybridizing, at a temperature of between 20 and 70° C., in saline solution at a concentration of approximately 0.5 to 1M, with any one of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 235 to 239, and 262 to c) the sequences homologous to each of the sequences SEQ ID Nos 235 to 239, and 262 to 271, and of the sequences according to b), respectively, the homology meaning any sequence, for example fragment, comprising a series of at least 5 contiguous nucleotides included in any one of said sequences and also a group of two or three nucleotides belonging to a region which has been conserved for all the species of a group under consideration, and said sequence exhibiting at least 70% identity with said any sequence.
 16. The use of the sequences defined in claim 11, for determining a group of original animal species in a sample liable to contain an ingredient obtained from at least one animal species belonging to said group of animal species under consideration.
 17. A method for determining a group of original animal species in a sample liable to contain an ingredient obtained from at least one species belonging to said group of animal species under consideration, characterized in that: a) a nucleic acid fraction obtained from said sample is provided, b) the nucleotide sequence(s) characteristic of the group of animal species to be determined is (are) identified, c) at least one reagent comprising a sequence identified in step b) is provided, c) the nucleic acid fraction and said reagent are brought into contact, and d) any signal or item of information resulting from the presence of one of the sequences as claimed in claim 11, characterizing the presence in said sample of a group of original animal species, is determined by means of detection. 